1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for coating conductive metal onto an electrode, and more particularly to a method for promoting production and quality upon coating of the conductive metal on the electrode, in which the electrode is a rod-like element for being used in a surface mounting chip component.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
A method for coating conductive metal on an electrode was described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,129 in which a silica gel plate having a plurality of apertures thereon arranged by a square array pattern is used for holding surface mounting chip components. Furthermore, the silica gel plate includes alignment plugs for engaging face-to-face with a planting plate, in which the planting plate includes a plurality of guiding holes arranged in correspondence with the apertures of the silica gel plate. In the disclosure, the electrodes for surface mounting chip components are planted into the guiding holes temporarily. By using a plurality of pins arrayed at the same square pattern, those electrodes can be planted into the respective guiding holes of the planting plate. Thereafter, the silica gel on the silica gel plate can catch the electrodes by the inherent elasticity. Finally, by utilizing a pair of elevator plates engaged to respective recesses located at opposing sides of silica gel plate, portion of those electrodes exposed out of the silica gel plate can be dipped into a trough of liquid conductive metal for dipping process.
It is easy to understand that there are several disadvantages in the aforesaid prior art.
(1) The trend of miniaturizing electronic elements makes also the miniature of the surface mounting chip components as well as the electrodes. Therefore, due to the tiny sizes of the surface mounting chip components, the pins have to be made finer so that the electrodes for the surface mounting chip components can be successfully pressed through the guiding holes of the planting plate. Obviously, such a miniaturization design will inevitably lead to the breakage of the pins, and damages of the pins, electrodes, chips or plates thereunder. PA1 (2) After a certain period of usage, the silica gel will become aged. Thus, the adhering property of silica gel will be reduced, so that the automatic peeling-off of the electrodes from the silica gel may occur and may lead to possible damage. PA1 (3) Because the electrodes for the surface mounting chip components are basically adhered by the elasticity of the silica gel, the area proportion of the silica gel on the silica gel plate can not be reduced. Thus, it will limit the quantity of the electrodes that can be planted on the silica gel plate.